The Los Angeles Lakers went 3-5 in Summer League play this year, but fans were really watching to see how two players performed. Los Angeles is hoping to remain competitive as superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis enter the twilight of their careers, and they'll need young players to step up.
Let's take a look at how the future of the Lakers performed in Las Vegas, including the son of one of their stars and a highly hyped first-round pick.
Notable names on Lakers' summer league squad
The Lakers’ Summer League roster was headed by first-round draft pick Dalton Knecht and LeBron James’ son, Bronny. Knecht was viewed as one of the best pure shooters in the draft, and Bronny has been followed closely for many years due to his dad’s status as one of the greatest players of all time.
Bronny James flashed defensive skill and offensive upside
The younger James struggled a bit at the offensive end but also showed some flashes of potential, particularly towards the end of play. He really shined on the defensive end, where he showed why he's viewed as an NBA-caliber defender already.
Offensively, James will likely play a three-and-D role early in his career. He struggled to shoot from beyond the arc early this summer, but it was a good sign that he was confident enough to continue taking open looks when they were available. Summer League play is more about potential than performance, and the number of three-pointers that he attempted represented a miniscule sample size compared to his overall body of work.
Even great shooters have hot streaks and cold streaks shooting from beyond the arc, and if he was in a cold streak, that's not a big deal. Given what he has already put on tape as a shooter, that is the most likely scenario. It's exceedingly unlikely that he just forgot how to shoot, and he has displayed good form on his jumper.
James' upside as a shooter and his 3-and-D potential were further bolstered by his performance in the final few Summer League games the Lakers played. His performance was still a bit inconsistent, but he started to see more of his looks go through the net.
Overall, James played efficiently in the final few games. He leveraged his shooting ability to make defenders come out to him and then demonstrated an instinctive understanding of when and where to cut toward the rim. He also showed potential as a playmaker, understanding when to take shots and when to keep the ball moving. Although he'll be a 3-and-D player to start, he does have upside as a floor general and he sees the court extremely well.
Even in the chaos that is Summer League, Bronny was able to understand what his teammates needed and he showed the ability to get them the ball in a position where they could do damage.
Bronny James won’t turn into his dad, and that’s okay
No, the younger James is probably not the second coming of his father. Even if he reaches his maximum ceiling or somehow it sees it, it's unlikely he'll ever be anywhere near the player that his dad is. Yet, it's entirely unfair to compare an incoming rookie to arguably the greatest player of all time just because they share the same last name.
Lakers fans need to be patient and allow Bronny to develop into his own player. He has a different build and skill set than his dad did coming into the league, and that's perfectly okay. He figures to start his career as an impact 3-and-D player and go from there. His performance in Vegas demonstrated his ability to do the key tenants of the 3-and-D player archetype. Now, fans just have to be patient and let Bronny James develop into his own player.
Dalton Knecht will have the perfect mentor
Similar to James, Knecht struggled in his first couple of games at Summer League. However, the 17th overall pick turned it up in a big way in the last few games of the summer. His best game was a 25-point output where he splashed five shots from beyond the arc. Knecht figures to be an instant contributor as an elite floor spacer.
This will be important for the Lakers as their two stars, LeBron and Davis, are both most comfortable playing aggressive and driving into the paint. Opposing defenses will have a harder time sending double teams to pressure James and Davis on the interior if a lethal shooter like Knecht is lurking out on the wings ready to catch kickout passes and drain the shots.
JJ Redick is the Lakers' new coach, and he was once a lethal shooter in the NBA who did much of his damage maneuvering off-ball to find open space and knocking down looks after receiving passes from teammates. Knecht may not have JJ's movement skills yet, but he's an elite shooter and there's nobody better to mentor him in the finer aspects of playing an off-ball sharpshooter role than Redick.
The former 76ers guard was also elite at leveraging screens to get open, and James and Davis are both capable of setting devastating screens. Lakers fans should be excited to see what Redick can do with Knecht and the type of player he can help the former Tennessee star develop into.
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